This is a horrible idea. I understand public sentiment is high now because of his death, but if Pat Burns couldn’t get into the hall of fame when he was dying of cancer and he has the criteria to be in there, no way should Connors get there.

Here’s the thing. The Hockey Song is catchy. It’s played in arenas. It gets everyone excited. Of course, you could say the same thing about Blur’s Song 2 (the Woo-hoo song played after every Ottawa Senators goal, except during the XX playoffs), Rednex’s Cotton Eye Joe and Gary Glitter’s Rock ‘n Roll Part 2. Do those people belong in the Hall of Fame? Of course not.

He wrote a song about hockey. And that’s it. That doesn’t mean he should be in the hall of fame. Why not induct Roch Carrier for writing the famous book, the Hockey Sweater? Or Paul Newman for the most popular hockey movie of all time, Slap Shot? Or Mike Myers for The Love Guru? Er… scratch that last one.

But you get the idea. Connors should not be in the hockey hall of fame. There are plenty of builders who belong in the hall of fame before Connors. Some of them include:

Ken Holland: Won multiple Cups with the Red Wings, and has made that team the most consistent (and excellent) team of the last 15 years.

Pat Quinn: Fourth all-time in wins for a coach.

Kerry Fraser: The most regular season and playoff games refereed.

Mike Kennan: Fifth all time in wins for a coach, and won the New York Rangers its only Stanley Cup in the last 73 years.

Bryan Murray: Eighth all-time in wins as a coach. As a GM, put together the team that won Anaheim the Cup in 2007.

Brian Burke: Won the Cup with Anaheim, wheeled and dealed to get the Sedins in Vancouver, turned around Toronto’s franchise (although he’s not with the team anymore to see the fruit of his labours).

Fred Shero: Coach of the Flyers team that won back-to-back Cups in the 1970s.

Pierre Lacroix: Led the Avalanche to two Cups.

Pat Burns: Turned around a lot of teams, and led the Devils to a Stanley Cup.

That’s nine right there. I’m sure there are plenty more. But I’m guessing you get the point.

Stompin’ Tom wrote a hockey song back in 1973. And that’s about it.

Let the hall of fame be filled with people who have actually contributed to hockey, and leave Stompin’ Tom to the music hall of fames.